The Coral: Psychedelic Blues-Rock with a Pop Twist
Written: Nov 10 '04 (Updated Nov 12 '04)
Product Rating:
Pros: Some really oustandingly entertaining music...
Cons: Falters a bit toward the end...
The Bottom Line: Though their sound may not be entirely original (okay, it's not original at all), their music is wonderfully diverse and entertaining. Check Magic and Medicine out.
lambchops's Full Review: Magic And Medicine (w/bonus) by The Coral
I must be honest with myself and my audience. The first time I popped Magic and Medicine by The Coral into my stereo I listened to exactly two songs before I, both annoyed and disgruntled, smacked the stop button. I disliked it so much that I entirely shelved the album without even so much as listening to the other ten songs.
The album sat untouched for months. Every time I stumbled upon it I scoffed, tossing it aside in a rage that I’d even so much as let it grace my blessed stereo much less caress my unsullied eardrums. I mean—come on! Any album that so obviously rips off 60’s psychedelic music (ala The Doors) is pure crap. I even roundly chided Allmusic.com for calling it “one of the 21st century's finest odes to 1960s and 1970s garage rock.” As a music reviewer, I’d like to thing that people actually read and heed what I have to say on occasion. Had I written a review with this mindset I would have been doing people a huge disservice.
Just a few days ago, I picked Magic and Medicine back up from the “shelf of no return.” My expectations were set incredibly low for the re-examination of the album. I was wholly convinced The Coral sucked and I was ready to prove it with a hard-hitting review of Magic and Medicine. I admit it. I was wrong. The album rocks and I’m a big dumb jerk for ever thinking it was anything less.
The Coral is not a band that will probably ever end up on mainstream American radio or MTV. Magic and Medicine is actually the British band’s second album. Their first, an eponymous debut released in 2002, earned rave reviews. Formed in 1996 and hailing from seaside town Hoylake, The Coral are an odd bunch of musical blokes. They most certainly inject a good bit of psychedelia into their music but at the heart of it all rests a keen and organic pop-rock band able to write and perform some of the most fantastically original yet completely appealing songs today.
In fact, if any of the things I’ve mentioned seem even vaguely interesting I implore you to get Magic and Medicine. The six-man band (vocalist and guitarist James Skelly, drummer Ian Skelly, organist Nick Power, guitarist and trumpeter Bill Ryder-Jones, guitarist and vocalist Lee Southall, and bassist and sax player Paul Duffy) puts together a fine album that at first seems a strange mix of musical elements. So strange, in fact, that if you don’t listen to the album in its entirety it is difficult to get a handle on what the band actually represents. Magic and Medicine can be appreciated from start to finish. There are some weaker moments, but my overall feeling about the album is positive.
Sit down for a spell and be swept away from In the Forest through Confessions of A.D.D.D.. If you’re anything like me, your relationship with The Coral may start out rocky but will finish beautifully. Just be patient give it a chance to settle in. In the Forest paired with Don’t Think You’re the First annoyed me so much on my first listen because they honestly sound like something release thirty or thirty-five years ago. After hearing those two songs (harmonica, wood blocks, flute, and organ included) I just assumed the rest of the album continued in the same vein.
It is on the third song, Liezah that the album really begins to take shape. Up until that point, one could easily discount the band as copycats or uncreative hacks. A beautiful, simple, acoustic song it is entertaining and evocative and nothing (repeat nothing) link the first two psychedelic songs. Talkin’ Gypsy Market Blues provides a third picture of The Coral. This blues-rock persona seems just as fitting as the previous two.
Throughout Magic and Medicine I’m reminded of other artists. It is Secret Kiss that most reminds me of Jim Morrison and The Doors ala Crystal Ship. It’s the organ in conjunction with the vocals that lead me to this conclusion. Though it’s the Doors fed through a band weaned on Echo and the Bunnymen and Happy Mondays. In any case, it is good stuff. Milkwood Blues returns to the blues-rock formula, but unlike most of the offerings it is a bittersweet song. Bill McCai is also somewhat sad feeling. I appreciate the fact that The Coral can blend so many different elements without ruining the overall picture.
Outside of my initial reluctance to like The Coral, my only real complaint is that the music becomes less interesting as the album continues. Careless Hands is the first song that really does very little for me. It’s not bad, it’s just innocuously blah. Fortunately, Pass It On is one of the better songs on the album. It is a chipper, catchy song definitely worth hearing. All of Our Love, is unfortunately another unremarkable entry once again particularly unimpressive because it’s followed by another chipper pop-rock track Confessions of A.D.D.D..
Not only is Magic and Medicine an impressive CD, but it is also a cheap one—especially considering it comes with a special bonus in the states. Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker is actually an entire album; the band’s third to be precise released in 2004. It is included in the retail version. While not as interesting as Magic and Medicine it is a pleasant surprise and worth checking out. Heck, it’s only available as an import in the US so this is currently the only way you’re going to get it for a reasonable price (aka free). Songs like Venom Cable, Grey Harpoon and I Forgot My Name are particularly notable but Nightfreak doesn’t come close to the quality of the band’s second release.
If you’re looking for something organic but odd, catchy but melodic, and new but retro why not check out The Coral and Magic and Medicine? It’s definitely worth the $12 price tag.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. In the Forest
02. Don’t Think You’re the First
03. Liezah
04. Talkin’ Gypsy Market Blues
05. Secret Kiss
06. Milkwood Blues
07. Bill McCai
08. Eskimo Lament
09. Careless Hands
10. Pass It On
11. All of Our Love
12. Confessions of A.D.D.D.
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